1.0 Introduction
In this portfolio, I will be reflecting on my experiences and learning stages within this unit, BSB124 –Working in Business. Throughout this report, I will be focusing on a number of intra and interpersonal competencies relevant for my professional performance as an Indigenous Marketing Manager. Reflective practices will be an essential element within my expertise. As research has shown, this skill will lead to refining my performance on different scales, such as my job performance and organisational commitment.
During the semester, I completed a range of questionnaires in tutorials and have come to the conclusion of focusing the first section of this report on my Learning Style using the Learning Style Profiler (LSP) in relation to Jackson’s hybrid model of personality and learning. My results have indicated that I am most deficient in the two following characteristics; Goal Orientation and Emotional Intelligence.
Secondly, I will discuss my interpersonal effectiveness by using Belbin’s Self-Perception Inventory (1981) and reflect on my CATME ratings in relation to my role, and experiences I encountered from working within a group. More importantly, I will consider my experiences with the social and cultural differences and will focus on my personal developments that will assist me for my future career and this will be done through SMART criteria.
2.0 Intrapersonal effectiveness
Intrapersonal Effectiveness can be defined as having an understanding of yourself including your goals, strengths, weaknesses, styles, biases, and improving your self-management skills, such as time management and stress management (De Janasz, Wood, Gottschalk, Dowd and Schneider 2006, p. 3). Therefore, I will demonstrate understanding of myself by choosing two characteristics that I need improve by using the Jackson’s (2005) hybrid model which will be outlined in the section below.
2.1 Jackson’s Learning Style Profiler
Jackson’s hybrid model is used to measure approach and avoidance learning in personality and is designated to span biological, cognitive, and experiential foci. The model argues in favour of both functional and dysfunctional biologically based scales of sensation seeking. (Boyle, Matthews & Saklofske, 2008, p. 82). This means, that peoples desires are driven the same way through cognitive mechanisms referred to in Figure 1; however, the results will indicate whether the person will become a functional learner or result in dysfunctional learning (Jackson, 2005). More specifically, I will be using the LSP to provide an evaluation on my personal stages of learning and reflect on the two characteristics that need improvement. As outlined in Figure 1: Results of Natakka’s Learning Styles. I have been scored out of 100, in accordance to my learning styles from five cognitive mechanisms.
As outlined in Figure 1, the two lowest mechanisms that I have been scored are Goal Orientation and Emotional Intelligence. Research has indicated the rationality of emotional intelligence is expressed in terms of low goal orientation (Boyle et al., 2008, p. 83). Furthermore, by achieving a low goal orientation it has affected my chances of being emotionally intelligent. Therefore, I will summarise intrapersonal effectiveness on focusing on my strengths and weakness of being a goal oriented achiever and emotionally intelligent achiever and reflecting on my personal development by establishing SMART goals.
2.1.1 Goal Oriented Achiever
A high Goal Orientation is essential for my career objectives as they are predictive of job performance and leadership skills (Jackson, Hobman, Jimmieson & Martin, 2009). This is relevant to my goal of becoming a marketing manager and an example to all Indigenous women. However, Goal Oriented Achiever has scored low; this suggests that I will have a tendency towards dysfunctional behaviours (Boyle et al., 2008, p. 79). This trait can be a problem for my future as I will not be able to have the capacity to achieve my goals and that can lead to lack in organisational skills (Boyle et al., 2008, p. 79). According to Boyle et., al (2008, p. 79) Goal Oriented Achievers use more complex learning strategies and pursue specific, difficult and challenging goals or tasks. This can relate a lot to my high school years, as I missed a lot of schooling and had the capacity to go back to school, obtain satisfactory marks, graduate, and then be accepted into university. Ultimately, I set specific goals for myself to purse and I achieved them.
2.1.2 Emotionally Intelligent Achiever
My ability to direct and regulate emotions in a constructive and independent way has achieved a low overall score and therefore, indicated that I do not have the capacity to understand and perceive ones emotions (Boyle et al., 2008, p. 80). Being from a small rural town and coming to a large city with university studies, has been challenging as many subjects involve group work and require perceiving each other’s emotions. This relates a lot to my Marketing career, as I will come across many clients that will ask for advice and I will need to have the ability to understand and perceive their emotions. This will highly assist within the corporate sector, where emotional stability and stress management are important.
2.2 Personal Developments
Thus I have set goals based on the SMART criteria, in order to increase my approach to learning. I will study an extra hour on top of my contact hours with each subject; this will increase my understanding of each subject and prepare me successfully to work in the Marketing sector. I will also aim to be more organised and have a folder for each subject for the remaining semesters in my degree, lastly I will carry around a dairy which I can plan each day effectively and manage each task until they are completed. For this plan to be successful, I will check each day to see if deadlines are met and also test myself on each subject content that will be assessed and reflect on whether I need to increase my study.
2.3 Social and Cultural Considerations
In terms of social and cultural consideration in correspondence to my intrapersonal skills, I am a strong sensation seeker and deep learning achiever. This means that I have a very optimistic approach for learning and do tasks to my highest potential, I am also very open to opportunities that offer greater challenges and I try to get involved in everything that life offers (Cymeon Pty Ltd, 2013). This can really compliment the diversity that Australia currently has. As I am very outgoing and sociable, whilst being Aboriginal born with Italian heritage, this will enable my ability to broaden my interactions with a range of other cultures.
3.0 Interpersonal effectiveness
Interpersonal Effectiveness can be defined as the ability to have positive interactions with other people, which can be a common source of stress and can lead to unhealthy behaviours. Much of that has to do with how we communicate with others, how we manage conflict, conduct efficient meetings and provide negative or positive feedback in an appropriate manner to better the workplace (Belbin Self Inventory, n.d.).
3.1 Belbin’s Self Perception Inventory
The Self-Perception Inventory was created to give individuals or workers a “simple means of assessing their best team roles” (Belbin Self Inventory, n.d.).When individuals are aware of their preferred role (based on the results of a questionnaire), this information can be used to guide their behavior, by focusing on their strengths and being aware of their weakness.
According to Belbin Self Inventory (n.d.), a team is not a bunch of people with job titles, but a congregation of individuals, each of whom has a role that is understood by other members. Members of a team then seek out certain roles and they perform most effectively in the ones that are most natural to them. My results for the self-perception inventory indicate that my two preferred team roles are Plant and Team Worker. This means that, as a Plant, I was “planted” into my team; that I tend to be highly creative and good at solving problems in unconventional ways.
In terms of my role as being a Team Worker, this mean that I was there to help the team stick together, using my versatility to identify the work required and complete it on behalf of the team. These results are consistent with my experiences in BSB124 and more specifically with my behavior in the workplace. Throughout the group presentation, I clearly completed tasks within the group that needed to be completed; such as all printing, logo etc., and as the Plant, I exercised creativity in our display as a team and logo. As my goal to pursue a career in being a marketing manager, research indicates their role requires studying a substantial amount of research and having experience in critical thinking (Marketing manager role offers food for thought, 2006, July 1). My results from Belbin’s inventory indicate that I am good at solving problems and prefer to be highly creative. This compliments my personal profile as they are consistent and these skills will further grow throughout my university studies.
3.2 CATME Analysis
CATME allows each team member to rate themselves and other team members against a set of criteria that gives them an adjusted score. The results my team gave me were very inconsistent with the rating I gave myself. This indicated that I did not perform as the best that I could according to the set criteria. Outlined in Figure 2: Natakka’s Contribution to Team Work’s. This is my results from my peer evaluation survey in CATME; it demonstrated how I rated myself to the rating of me by my team members and the average as a whole.
I believe that I could have done more work as I arrived to some meetings late and this could have contributed to my overall score, as we were a high achieving group with a grade of six, which I am very happy with. There was one girl in our group from the Ukraine and the rest were Australian. I feel, as our group was very diverse we were open to everyone’s ideas. We all agreed on the same things and I am glad that I was with such a hardworking group. I clearly do not have the characteristics of a Plant and Team Worker based on Belbin’s team roles; however, these skills can be pursued to greater lengths.
3.3 Personal Developments
Therefore, according to the SMART criteria, my goal is to work towards having the characteristics as the Plant and Team Worker and to be a reliable, hardworking team member. I will do this by arriving on time to each team meeting and undertake more research to better myself for my future career. I will set deadlines for me to complete group tasks and this can be throughout semester 1, 2014.
3.4 Social and Cultural Considerations
Ultimately, my group in BSB124 was very diverse as we had a range of cultures and this had prevailed. Being from an Indigenous background, my ancestors have been on the earth for many centuries, which has helped me to become more open and encouraging to other cultures that I come across. This allowed me to have a better perspective on where my team members came from, as meeting new people and cultures is something that I have been developing since high school. This gave me a better perspective on how to deal with other cultures (even in my own group tasks), and has helped me to reflect on the things I should develop on.
4.0 Conclusion
In summary, my intrapersonal effectiveness has resulted in that I am a moderate conscientious learner, have moderate emotional intelligence and low goal orientation achievements. This indicates that I lack leadership, efficiency and perceiving ones emotions. However, I am a high deep learning achiever and sensation seeker, which reflects that my approach to learning is positive and that I am able to get tasks done. Moving onto my interpersonal effectiveness, this displayed that my two Belbin’s roles are consistent with my personal and work life, showing creativity and the ability to undertake critical tasks. However, my CATME rating was inconsistent to the rating that I gave myself. I was not exercising the characteristics in Belbin’s team roles. Therefore, I will take on extra study for each subject and aim to be more organised in regard to my intrapersonal effectiveness and I will better myself to be a reliable group member and achieve to get tasks done on deadlines, in regard to my interpersonal effectiveness, through the SMART Criteria.
